Carbon Management

At PNNL, our researchers are unlocking fundamental discoveries in theory, chemistry, catalysis, subsurface science and artificial intelligence and transforming them into technological solutions for carbon capture, carbon utilization, and geologic carbon storage.

In support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s carbon management mission, PNNL collaborates with academic, governmental and industry partners across United States and around the world. Together, we are developing technologies to transition conventional fuels and processes toward a carbon-neutral energy future.

carbonstorageillustrationimage — PNNL researchers are part of a team working to advance our scientific understanding of how CO2 reacts with rocks and minerals when it is injected into the subsurface of a reservoir. Armed with this knowledge, we can improve the accuracy of models that will be used to predict the fate of CO2. Illustration by Mike Perkins | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Carbon capture

Through our research for DOE’s Basic Energy Sciences separations program, PNNL scientists are leading the development of the next generation of solvents for carbon capture. These solvents not only capture CO₂, they are also more energy efficient and cost effective than existing commercial technologies. PNNL’s Carbon Capture program recently accomplished the lowest carbon capture costs to date at $39/tonne CO₂, offering opportunities to reduce the Nation’s cost of achieving net zero emissions targets.

Carbon utilization

Through new discoveries about the CO₂ reactivity in these solvents, PNNL experts in solvent chemistry and catalysis are leading the advent of a new field of integrated CO₂ capture and conversion. In partnership with our colleagues in DOE-FE’s Carbon Utilization program, PNNL is exploring ways to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of converting CO₂ into valuable commodities while enabling decarbonization strategies.

Carbon storage

PNNL has more than 50 years of expertise in subsurface injection, fate, and transport. We have partnered with DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy for decades to help achieve the office’s Carbon Storage mission of deep-decarbonization. This work includes:

permitting and demonstrating the first mineralization of supercritical CO₂ in basalt reservoirs (Wallula)

siting and successfully developing the first Class VI permit ever granted (FutureGen 2.0)
developing high-performance, computing-enabled, and real-time geophysical imaging and forecasting tools to support industry-driven, commercial-scale deployment of geologic CO₂ storage under DOE’s new SMART Initiative.

Addressing the nation’s long term energy needs will require fundamental shifts in the way we acquire and use energy resources. Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are working to develop and commercialize technologies critical to decarbonizing the power and industrial sectors.